1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for avoiding a plurality of conditions which are mutually in a so-called restriction relationship.
2. Description of the Related Art
As image forming apparatuses have grown in performance, items to be set for execution of processing by the image forming apparatuses also increase. Further, a range or option of settable values for one item also increases.
In relation to the increase, it is sometimes forbidden to set, as processing conditions, a value for one item and to set a value for the other item. It is also sometimes forbidden to set a particular value for three or more settings. Such a relationship among the plurality of values is hereinafter referred to as a “restriction relationship”.
As a technology related to the restriction relationship, the following technology has been proposed. An image forming apparatus determines a function in conflict with a function being changed in settings. When there is the function in conflict, the image forming apparatus displays the function together with a warning error to show a user the presence of the function in conflict to prompt the user to solve the conflict. When the conflict is eliminated, the settings are applied to printing (English abstract of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2014-232503).
The technology described in the Publication enables the image forming apparatus to determine that the restriction relationship has been ended.
Besides, it is sought to avoid such a restriction relationship in advance, or to automatically avoid an existing restriction relationship.
In order to automatically avoid a restriction relationship, a developer needs to preset methods for avoiding such a restriction relationship for each combination of elements which are mutually in a restriction relationship. This increases the number of man-hours for development. In particular, when three elements or more are mutually in a restriction relationship, it is bothersome for the developer to make settings for methods for avoiding the restriction relationship, leading to further increase in the number of development man-hours.